Nightly News   |  February 05, 2011

Reagan’s ‘shining city on a hill’ now more accessible

While a host of celebrations Sunday will mark the 100th anniversary of the late president’s birth, the centennial kicks off with the unveiling of the renovated Ronald Reagan Library. NBC’s Lee Cowan gets an early look inside.

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This content comes from Closed Captioning that was broadcast along with this program.

>>> finally tonight, tomorrow would have been the 100th birthday of president, ronald reagan . while there are a host of celebrations going on, the centennial kicks off with the newly renovated library. lee cowan got a behind the scenes preview.

>> reporter: from parades to private moments. nancy rae began has been the care taker of his memories and never has the library been so busy. for mohs, it has created 26 26,000 square foot birthday present at the direction of the fit lady herself. the wife of ronald w. reagan as it says on her passport is a little bit of a pack rat . from the presidential to the personal it is all here. love notes and some in telegrams she saved everyone. even a piece of concrete from their first home.

>> there was a side to him that was verymotional and he was always touched by her roism andheroism.

>> he was the president's student.

>> he gave me a lecture onow to keep the speeches short. andow to make them shorter and tighter.

>> a man's tlalents may besed for good and evil.

>> he was a great writer.

>> it gives me goose bumps every time i touch or hold these diary diaries.

>> reporter: and while the public can't touch the sam pages he did. they can get pretty close. visitors can now turn every page the diaries in a virtual way. in fact, just about every exhibit is interactive.

>> we have try to get out of the way and let the president speak to the visitor.

>> whatever else history may say abou me when i'm gone.

>> reporter: president ipod will be the visitor's guide with a camera iluded with e-mail pictures home. the great communtater is communicating in whole new ways. reagan's shining city on a hill